Everyone already knows the song that Rachel Platten likes to kick ass to: Her breakout hit, “Fight Song,” peaked at No. 6 on the Billboard Hot 100. The 34-year-old singer, who released her major-label debut, Wildfire, Jan. 1 on Columbia, reveals the tunes that soundtrack her other moods and moments.
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My cry song: Ben Rector, “The Men That Drive Me Places”
“I was on a plane with Andy Grammer recently, and he shared this song with me. We put on headphones and bawled listening to it three times in a row. It’s a beautiful message, especially for artists: You can get so caught up in this world of people doing things for you that you forget to listen to everybody’s story.”
My make-out song: Marvin Gaye, “Let’s Get It On”
“When I was dating anyone and they would come see my show, I’d cover this. It was like a secret weapon. I don’t think anyone gets sexier than Marvin.”
My hangover song: Pixies, “Where Is My Mind?”
“It helps me come to terms with my behavior the night before. I used to cover this too: It’d make me feel [Pixies bassist] Kim Deal-cool, even playing to a mostly empty bar of drunk people.”
My tour-bus song: The 1975, “Love Me”
“Their new single is this super cool throwback-’80s jam. They’re one of the only bands that my whole band and crew can agree on that we all dig, so when we’re on the road this is a good one to blast. And the video has a ton of hot girls, so the guys like it.”
My rock-out song: Queen, “Bohemian Rhapsody”
“The Wayne’s World scene made me feel like I also need to learn every single word and know what to do in the car when this comes on. It just makes me want to head-bang. There’s so many different moments in that song to have ridiculous moves to.”
My high-school song: The Emotions, “Best of My Love”
“My group of friends would blast the Boogie Nights soundtrack at every party, and this song was on it. The bass line is unbelievable. I referenced it on my album on “Hey Hey Hallelujah,” a collaboration with Andy Grammer.”
My bedtime song: James Vincent McMorrow, “Higher Love”
“I recently fell in love with him. All of his stuff is beautiful, but his cover of [Steve Winwood‘s] “Higher Love” is everything — just piano and his voice. I usually listen to his Spotify Artist Radio and fall asleep.”
My karaoke song: Salt-N-Pepa, “Do You Want Me”
“I like to do ’90s rap songs, and this is my favorite. I made up a dance to it with my friend when I was 11. I still know it — unfortunately for anyone in the bar when I’m doing karaoke.”
An edited version of this story originally appeared in the Jan. 16 issue of Billboard.
